Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. Of the eternall election whereby God hath appointed ſome to ſaluation, and ſome to deſtruction.
1 ANd nowe wheras the couenant of life is not preached in like ſort among all mē, & wheras it taketh not like place, either equally, or perpetually among thoſe to w… it is preached:The depth of Gods iudgement. the depth of the wonderfull iudgement of God doth therein ſhew it ſelf. For vndoubtedly this diuerſitie ſerueth the free choice of Gods eternall election. Whereas ſaluation is offred to ſome: & ſome are kept frō hearing the ſame:Fruites of predeſtination. by this we hauehave three moſt ſweete fruits. Firſt that we hauehave ſaluation by the mere liberalitie of God. Which is a great argument to perſwade vsus both to thankeſgiuing, & alſo to humilitie. Secondly we ſhold ſtraight way periſh amidſt ſo many cōflicts of tēptations, vnleſſ it were ſurely confirmed vntounto vsus, that we are in the hand of God. Laſt of all we ſee that the bold curioſitie of mē muſt be bridled,Curious men leſt they enter into a maze, whereof they ſhall find no ende, and that they may follow the worde without which they ſhall alwayes go aſtray.
2 We are come into the way of faith ſaith Auguſtine*, let vsus hold the ſame ſtedfaſtly,Aug. Homil. in Ioh. 35. it will bring vsus vntounto the kings chamber, wherein all the treaſurs of knowledge and wiſedome are hid.
3 Obiect. The mention of predeſtination muſt be buried as an hard and dangerous matter.The mention of predeſtination is not to be buried.
An. That is to reproue the Spirit, & to backbite him, who hath reuealed thoſe things in word, which were profitable to be ſuppreſſed.
Obiect. It is the glory of God to cōceale a word*.
An. Secretes, ſaith Moſes belong to our God, but he hath reuealed theſe things to vsus and to our children*.Deut. 29.29
4 Obiect. All this whole diſputation is daungerous for godly mindes, becauſe it is an enemie to exhortations, it ſhaketh faith, it troubleth the hart it ſelfe.
An. Let vsus not ſearch out the thinges which the Lord hath left hidden,Thinges to be auoyded. let vsus not neglect the things which he hath brought …: leſt on the one ſide we be condemned for too much curioſitie, on the other for too great vnthankfulneſſe. But let vsus ſafely follow the Scripture, which goeth ſtoupingly as with a motherly paſe,Aug. Lib. 5. de. Gen. ad Lit: leſt it forſake our weakeneſſe*.
5 Obiect. Foreknowledge is the cauſe of predeſtination.
An. The one is wrongfully made ſubiect to the other. When we attribute foreknowledge to God, our meaning is that all thinges hauehave alwayes bene vnderunder his eyes,What fore knowledge is. Predeſtination. and in his ſight, as preſent. And we call predeſtination the eternall decree of God, whereby he determined with him ſelfe, what he would hauehave to become of euerie man. For men are not created to like eſtate:Generall election. but for ſome eternall life: and for ſome eternall death, is appointed. Whereby his free election is made manifeſt, ſeeing it lieth in his will, what ſhall be the eſtate of eueryevery nation. Whereof God ſhewed a token in the whole iſſue of Abraham*.Deut. 32.8. & 4.37. &c. Particuler Election.
6 There is alſo a certaine ſpeciall election, wherein appeareth more plainly the grace of God, ſeeing that of the ſame ſtocke of Abraham God reiected ſome,*Pſal. 78.69 & 47.20. Mat. 1.2. as Iſmael, Eſau: and at length almoſt all the tenne tribes of Iſraell: he ſheweth that he retaineth others among his children, in nouriſhing them in the Church.
7 Queſt. Why is not the general electiō of one people alwayes ſure and certaine?
An. Becauſe God doeth not ſtraight way geue thoſe the Spirit of regeneration with whom he maketh a couenant, by the power of which Spirit they may continue vntill the end in the ſame couenant. The ſumme tendeth to this end, that God in his eternall and vnchangeable counſell hath appointed, whome he would in time to come take to ſaluation: and whom againe he would adiudge to deſtruction. Which counſell as touching the elect is grounded in his free merciemercy. And as for thoſe which he appointeth to damnation,Two teſtimonies of election the entrie of life is ſhut before them, by his iuſt, but yet by his incomprehenſible iudgement. In the elect is calling, which iuſtificatiō doth followe (being two teſtimonies of election) vntill they come to glorie. But by excluding the reprobate either from the knowledge of his name, or frō the ſanctification of his Spirit, he declareth what maner iudgement is prepared for them.